New Zealand-based supermarket chain Countdown has removed single-use plastic straws from its stores to help reduce plastic pollution.
The move is expected to remove 11.6 million plastic straws from circulation per year. The retailer will replace the plastic with more sustainable materials such as bamboo, metal and paper.
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In June this year, Countdown unveiled its plans to phase out single-use plastic bags. The company intends to remove as much unnecessary plastic as possible from its stores.
Countdown corporate affairs and sustainability general manager Kiri Hannifin said: “Like other plastic and packaging, straws can have a disastrous impact on the marine environment if they end up there.
“One of the best ways we can reduce that impact is by moving away from selling products that are used once and then thrown away, and by making more reusable and recyclable options available.
“We’re continuing to look at where we can make changes in our own brands and are also working with our supplies to see where changes in their packaging may be possible.”
The retailer set a target of using reusable, recyclable or compostable own-brand packaging by 2025.
